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Iraq’s explosive issue

From
James Edwards

Your special report on the Gulf war raised some interesting points about the environmental cost of the war with Iraq, but did not mention the hazards associated with the long-term legacy of unexploded ordnance (15 March, p 12).

Although figures vary, it is thought that up to 10 per cent of explosive munitions fail to detonate once fired. If these munitions are not properly removed, degradation of the weapon casing over time will result in discharge of the explosive into the environment. Explosives are totally non-natural compounds that can not only produce a powerful explosion, but are also toxic …